Basket turner



July 4, 1933. HlATT 1,916,838

BASKET TURNER Filed Aug. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l M ATTORNEYS July 4, 1933. HlATT 1,916,838

BASKET TURNER Filed Aug. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO'R 17 B/[Zflii BY f Maw! ATTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1933 UN ETED PATENT O'FFFCE ENOS' B; HIATTfO'F DENVER, COLORADO, -ASSIGNOR TO OVENDA CORPORATION, OF

I CHICAGOfILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS- --BASIKET TURNER .Applicatioir filed AugustS, 1930. Serial No. 473,834.

This invention relates broadly to basket turners, especially adapted to invert fruit baskets, although the .device may be used to advantage OILHIOSC containers which have been packed inan inverted position.

In the present art it is. customary to pack the fruit in an inverted metallic shell on a plate orring packing lid, with a supporting liner within the shell. WVhen completely filled the shell form .is removed and the filling. linermaintains correct shape, while a wooden basket is inverted over the linerand fruit. .It is then necessary to turn the container right side up in order to apply the permanent basket lid and pad to complete the package.

The present invention is. accordingly directed to the provision of a inethodand apparatus which will allow a workman to quickly and easily invert a filled container without damaging its contents.

It wasformerly necessary for-thepacker to lift the combined basket and contents,to

2' turn it manually and at the-same time encleavorto keep the ring packing lid in place.

The present invention, taking advantage ofthe weight of the container, relieves the workman of unnecessary effort, expedites and facilitates production and greatly removes the hazard of damaging packed goods because ofspilling or jarring.

The operation of the device will beb'etter understood, in conjunction with the following description by referring to the accompanying drawings of which Fig.1 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing the top locked horizontally, and a basket in position to be inverted.

' Fig. 2 is a perspective view showingthe top in tilted position,'and the container partly inverted.

Fig. 3- is a detailsection of the release-catch taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the container in half inverted position.

Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the apparatus showing. the container in the final position.

'50. Fig. 6 is .a detail sectiontaken along line 66 of; Fig. 5, showing means for detachably connecting the stand and the bench.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention in which a metallic bench frame/210 is supported by 5 legs 11 adjustably held by wing nuts12. A standframe .13, having a top 14: and legs 15, is detachably connected to the lower part of: frame 10-.byn1eans of brackets 161611- gaging in slot-s17 oft-he bench frame. A working top, 18, pivotally. mounted to the .upper part of the frame by means of rod 19 is locked in normal-horizontalposition by a spring catch20.

The top is centrally cut longitudinally to form a-slot,;bevelled atits innerand upper end to easily. permit the insertion of. the arm of the operator.- At one end ofthe working top, opposite the spring catch and on either side of vtheslot are rigidly fastened two brackets, 21,-shapedand mounted at an angle to conform substantially to the inverted container. I r

A structural member .22 mo-unted diag onally on either side of the frame. at a predetermined angle serves both as a reinforcing braceand as a support for the-stop .23. A pivot. rod 24, extending horizontally across one end. of thezmainframe 10,.is arranged to be ofadj-ustable heightandyacts'as-a ful- 8Q crum or pivot for the container during the inversion operation.

In the operation ofthe device, the working top 18 is locked iirhorizontal positionby a r means of spring catch 20. and the llOllTlLlfiCb of packaging is completed to he pointshown inFig. .l. T-heuhands: ofthe operator are placed. onthe container to guide .its. move ments, and the spring catch is released, causing. the workingtop to rotate about rod 19, untilthestops 23-a-re reached where the oscillation :action of the working top isarrest-ed, as shown inFig. '2. lVith the hands arranged as indicated in dotted lines on Fig. 2, the container is allowed to rotate about the ends of brackets 21, until it rests on the pivot rod 24 as indicated in Fig. 4. The hands are then shifted and one arm inserted in the slot 19 provided for it in the working top 18, to 1m permit the basket to be placed on the top ll of the stand frame 13. The ring packing lid 25 (which does not form part of the invention) during )art of this operation has been held in place by the weight of the container. As this weight is removed from the lid in the action of rotation, said lid is held in place to prevent spilling of the contents. With the hands thus stationed as indicated in Fig. A, the container is permitted to rotate about pivot rod 24 until it settles onto the top 14 of the stand in the position shown in Fig. 5. The ring packing lid may now be removed and a permanent cover and pad attached.

Operators of this device in a short while become so proficient in its manipulation that the process of inverting can be performed without hesitation even for shifting of the hands, and in actual practice the output per packeris greatly increased.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. A container inverting device comprising a main frame, a rotatable working top having an arm slot cut therein, means for normally supporting said top in horizontal position, brackets rigidly fastened to said top to support a container when said top is rotated, and a horizontal rod carried by said frame and positioned to act as a pivot for said container during the inverting operation.

2. A container inverting device comprising a main frame, a normally horizontal top pivotally mounted on said main frame, a stop to limit the rotation of said top to an inclined position, means to prevent a container on said top from sliding therefrom when said top is inclined, and fulcrum means to support a container when said container is being inverted from said inclined top.

3. A container inverting device comprising a main frame, de'mountable supports for saidmain frame, a top mounted on said main frame and normally supported in horizontal position, means to permit said top to assume an inclined position, inclined members on said main frame, stops on said inclined members to support said top when in inclined position, a stand adjacent said main frame, andfulcrum means adjacent one end of said stand to support a container which is being inverted from said inclined top'to said stand.

4. A device for supporting and facilitating the inversion of unwieldy articles comprising: an article support pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis; means operable to normally hold said support in a substantially horizontal position, said means also permitting the support to be tilted on its axis to an inclined position to thereby initiate the inversion of the article; means to arrest the movement of the support'and hold it in an inclined position; means carried by the support to prevent the article from sliding out of desired position as the support is tilted; and a fulcrum positioned to be engaged by the side of the article to aid an operator in manually completing the inversion of the article by tilting it about the fulcrum.

5. A device for supporting and facilitating the inversion of unwieldy articles comprising: an article support pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis; stop means projecting upwardly from said support to engage the article and prevent it from sliding in at least onedirection on the support, said stop means projecting a lesser height than the article;

the'pivot for said support being positioned to cause the support with the article thereon to tend to tilt in the direction of said stop means; and means operable to normally hold said support in a horizontal position but being movable to inoperative position to release the support and permit it to tilt and thereby initiate the inversion of the article; said up wardly projecting stop means having a portion on which an operator may manually tilt the article' in completing the inversion.

6. A device for supporting and facilitating the inversion of unwieldy articles comprising: an article support pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis; means operable to normally hold said support in a substantially horizontal position, said means also permitting the support to be tilted on its axis to an inclined position to thereby initiate the inversion of the article; means to arrest the movement of the support and hold it in an inclined position; means projecting upwardly from the support to prevent the article from sliding out of desired position thereon as the support is tilted, said projecting means extending to a lesser height than the article and having a portion on which an operator may manually tilt the article in completing the inversion; and the support providing a space through which the operator may insert his hand to grasp a lower corner of the article adjacent its contact with the support.

7. A device for supporting and facilitating the inversion of unwieldy articles comprising: a frame; a top pivoted to said frame on a substantially horizontal axis; means operable to normally hold said t'op'in a substantially horizontal position, said means also permitting the top to be tilted on its axis toan inclined position to thereby initiate the inversion of the article; means to arrest the movement of the top and hold itin an inclined position; abutment means projecting upwardly from the top to prevent the article from sliding out of desired position as the top is tilted; and a cross piece carried by the frame and positioned to be engaged by the side of the article to aid an operator in manually completing the inversion of the article by tilting it on the cross piece.

8. A device for supporting and facilitating the inversion ofnnwieldy articles comprising: a main frame; a top pivoted to said erator in manually completing the inversion of the article by tilting it on the cross piece; said top providing a space through Which the operator may insert his hand to grasp a lower corner of the article adjacent its contact with said top; and a low stand adjacent the frame to receive the article upon completion of the inversion.

ENOS B. HIATT.

CERTIFIQATE ()F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,916,838. July 4, 1933.

ENOS B. HIATT.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered atent was erreneeusly described and specified as "@venda Corporation" whereas said name sheuid have been deseribeti and specified as "Orenda (I0rp0ration, as shown by the records ef assignments in this efiiee; and that the said Letters Patent sheuid be read with this cerreetitm. therein that the same may cenform t0 the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Sign d and sealed this 29th day of August, A. D. 1933.

lift. 5, Meets,

(Seal) Acting Gemmissioner of Patents. 

